Data quality and method
What is a Rodden Rating in celebrity astrology data?
The Rodden Rating records the provenance of public birth data—from family or state records to memory, biographies, unknown sources, conflicting reports, or no known time—and determines which chart claims are supportable.Reviewed · 2026-10-01 · Educational astrology contentThe Rodden Rating system, created by Lois Rodden and used by Astro-Databank, classifies the source path of public birth data. AA means the time comes from a family or state record; A from the person or an associate; B from a biography; C means caution because the original source is unknown or the time was rectified; DD marks conflicting unqualified reports. X means no known birth time, and XX means the date itself is unconfirmed. The rating measures provenance, not whether astrology works and not absolute error-free accuracy.
Key points
- AA, A, and B describe progressively different source paths; the source note still matters.
- A precise-looking clock time can have weak provenance, while a broad time can come from a strong record.
- C and DD data should not support definitive Ascendant, Midheaven, or house claims.
- X and XX are not missing labels: they explicitly record that time or date certainty is unavailable.
Method
- Read the rating, collector note, quotation, and original reference together.
- Follow the citation to its point of origin where possible; a database or magazine that repeats a time is a reference, not automatically the original source.
- Match the interpretation to the uncertainty: test a time range, omit unstable angles and houses, and preserve conflicting reports.
- Record the review date and only upgrade a rating when stronger source evidence is obtained.
Rodden Rating table: AA, A, B, C, DD, X, and XX
The table below summarizes Astro-Databank’s formal source categories and the practical interpretation boundary for timed charts.
| Rating | Source basis | How to use the chart responsibly |
|---|---|---|
| AA | Time recorded by family or state, including a birth certificate, birth record, registrar quote, baptismal certificate, family Bible, or baby book | Best available basis for angles and houses; still verify transcription, location, and historical time-zone conversion |
| A | Time quoted by the person, relative, friend, or associate; usually memory or family report | Timed work is possible with the source caveat; test rounded times and claims made casually or publicly |
| B | Biography or autobiography; a specifically cited birth record can instead qualify for AA | Read the actual passage and source chain; avoid stronger precision than the biography supports |
| C | Caution: original source unknown, ambiguous reference, or rectification from an approximate time | Treat the time as hypothetical; do not present houses or angles as established facts |
| DD | Two or more conflicting, unqualified reports | Keep every candidate visible; compare ranges or omit timed-chart claims until evidence resolves the conflict |
| X | Date known but no birth time; also rectifications that do not start from an approximate time | Do not use houses or angles; check whether the Moon or other fast factors change during the date |
| XX | Birth date itself is unknown, speculative, or unconfirmed | Avoid natal certainty and clearly label any exploratory calculation as hypothetical |
How data quality changes Ascendant and house claims
The Ascendant, Midheaven, and house cusps depend directly on time and location. When the time source is weak, these are usually the first chart factors that become unreliable. Planetary signs may remain stable over a range, but the Moon and exact aspects still need a range check.
- AA: calculate the timed chart, then audit the document transcription, coordinates, and historical offset.
- A or B: preserve the quotation and test rounded or approximate times before making degree-specific claims.
- C: show any time as provisional; prefer sign-level factors that remain stable across the plausible range.
- DD: calculate each documented candidate separately and never silently select the chart that “fits” best.
- X or XX: omit houses, Ascendant, and Midheaven; state what is unknown next to every chart or profile.
Three source-review examples
A birth certificate photographed by the family supports AA provenance, although a later transcription or time-zone conversion can still introduce error. A celebrity saying “around six in the morning” in an interview may support an A source path but not minute-level precision. Two biographies reporting 06:00 and 18:00 without identifying their sources should remain DD rather than being resolved by whichever Ascendant seems more convincing.
AstroMaster source audit workflow
For public profiles, AstroMaster should preserve the rating as an evidence trail rather than a decorative badge. Each review should be reproducible by another editor.
- Capture the exact quotation, document type, author or informant, publication, page or URL, and access date.
- Distinguish the original source from a later reference that merely repeats the data.
- Record contradictory dates and times instead of overwriting them.
- Recalculate only after confirming location and the historical civil-time rule.
- Log the reviewer, review date, decision, and reason for any rating change.
Limits and responsible use
- A rating is a provenance label, not a guarantee that a record is error-free.
- Do not upgrade a rating without a stronger source.
Frequently asked questions
Does an AA rating guarantee the recorded minute is exact?
No. AA identifies the strongest documented source path available; records can still contain rounding, delayed recording, transcription mistakes, location ambiguity, or time-zone conversion errors.
Can I use a C or DD chart for houses and the Rising sign?
Only as an explicitly hypothetical comparison. C lacks a dependable original source and DD contains unresolved conflicts, so a single Ascendant or house interpretation should not be presented as established.
Is Astro-Databank itself the original source?
It is a reference database that preserves source notes. The original source is the record, quotation, biography, or other evidence identified in the entry; read that source chain rather than citing the database name alone.
What is the difference between X and XX?
X means the date is usable but no birth time is known. XX means the date itself is unknown, speculative, or unconfirmed, so even date-based planetary claims may be uncertain.
Sources and references
- Astro-Databank Rodden RatingsReference for the source-quality labels used with public birth data.